Akishika Shuzo Yama Junmai Sake - 720 ml 17 %

Country: Japan

Region: Akishika Shuzo

Type: Sake

Rice: Yamada Nishiki (Organic - grown by Akishika)

Polishing Rate: 60%

ABV: 18%

Akishika’s sake-making starts in the paddy. An intense amount of work and attention is given to their sake’s raw material - organic rice. Sixth-generation kuramoto (brewery owner) Oku Hiroaki says, “I am a farmer who makes sake, and I want the finished product to convey as much as possible the taste of the wonderful rice we grow.” Making sure as much of the rice as possible dissolves into the brew - having minimal amount of lees left - together with high levels of acidity and minerality is the secret behind the sake being light in weight but rich in flavor and complexity.

At present, Akishika Shuzō is cultivating around 25 hectares of rice, comprising nearly 100 separate paddies, most of which are rented from nearby farmers who are no longer active. The rice is grown biodynamically, with only what comes out of the ground (fermented rice husks, rice shavings, and sake lees) returned into the ground as fertilizer. The brewery is located in the village of Nose in the mountainous northernmost part of Osaka Prefecture. The water is medium-soft, and comes from a well inside the brewery.